Harry Potter and the Tournament of Ages
by ritaskeeter5
Summary: The tournament that once resulted in the deaths of the participating students is now to be brought back. The Triwizard Tournament is back but it is not to be hosted at Hogwarts. This tournament will put Harry's rivalry with Draco Malfoy to the test becaus
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1:  
"Wake up!" Harry heard his aunt scream. He rolled over in his bed pretending not to notice Aunt Petunia's shrill call. Apparently she was used to his tricks and rapped on the door continually. Why is she trying so hard today to wake me up, Harry thought. "It's Dudley's Birthday today and you have to clean the house before his friends get here!" she called. No wonder, today was "Duddy's" 16th birthday. Joy. All the more reason to lie in bed. "I said now!!" "I'm up." He sighed and searched for a semi-clean pair of socks. Upon finding some he slowly put them on trying to delay his trip downstairs. He peered at his clock, which read 7:12 AM; he drew a long heavy breath and he trundled down the stairs. "Be quiet! You are going to wake our little birthday boy up!" she shrieked out the kitchen door. Harry snorted; he doubted there was anything little about Dudley besides his peanut brain and not even a herd of elephants could wake that monster up. Didn't she notice she was making more noise than Harry? "I swear she has the voice of a foghorn." He muttered under his breath. "What did you say, you slob?" "Nothing." He said exasperated. Aunt Petunia looked at him with her beady squint she always gave to Mr. And Mrs. Next Door when she was trying to see what they were up to. After about five seconds of scanning him she seemed to not care and gave him a list of chores to do for none other than Dudley. "If you don't wrap those presents perfectly I'll make you do each and every one again," she warned. Harry glanced down at #1 and tried to make out what his aunt's chicken scratches said. #1. Wrap Dudley's Presents "Fine," he groaned. "But can I eat something first, I'm hungry." "No, not until you finish wrapping those gifts." Harry dragged his feet into the living room and saw a mountain of boxes. He lifted a heavy one and shook it. There was a small crack and Harry hurriedly put the gift down. "Oops," Harry laughed. "I hope it wasn't expensive." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ After finishing wrapping the birthday presents, mowing the lawn, pruning the roses, dusting the furniture tops, vacuuming the house, and eating his slice of bread and a moldy lump of cheese, which was probably so putrid a mouse wouldn't touch it, Harry got to go upstairs to not exist again. Purposely slamming his door, he slumped into bed. 5 days, just five days until this nightmare is over.  
"Relax, Harry. Just five days until you're rid of this living-" he was interrupted as a high-pitched shriek came echoing from the hall. "Happy Birthday, Dudleykins!" Aunt Petunia screeched. With the force of an earthquake the birthday boy came wobbling down the hall towards the creaking stairs. Harry pulled out Flying with the Cannons, a book given to him as a gift from his best friend, Ron Weasley, whom he was going to visit in, hopefully, five short days. Suddenly came a sharp tap from his window. "Oh, Hedwig!" he let his snowy white owl in and was relieved to find a bundle of letters tethered to her thin leg. He recognized the handwriting of his friend Ron on the first letter, looking especially rushed.  
  
Dear Harry, I can't wait until you can come to my house on Friday. We're planning to have a fun month together. I got to go Hermione is calling me. Oh, here she is, she wants to say something. She got here two weeks ago..errr yeah here she is.  
  
Following this was Hermione's neat writing.  
  
Hi, Harry. It's me Hermione. How are you doing? Well, miss you lots. see you on Friday. Love From Hermione. Yeah. Herm says hi. Well.we got to go do stuff. I think the garden needs de- gnoming, again. We'll pick you up in a Ministry car on Friday. Around 2:00 ok? Send Hedwig back with a letter. Ron  
  
Harry turned the parchment over and scribbled down a quick response. Before he sent Hedwig off to deliver the letter he looked at the other note. It seemed to be written on very nice stationary. He turned it over and found the name R.J. Lupin stamped on the back of the letter. But the writing wasn't Lupin's usual print. Instead it was- "Sirius!" Harry tore the envolope apart.  
Sirius Black was a convicted murderer, which Harry proved innocent in his 3rd year, yet no one believed him, causing his long lost godfather to flee into his animagus form (can change into animal) and stalked the school grounds watching over Harry regularly, and staying with Harry's old professor and his old school friend, Remus Lupin. Dear Harry, I miss you very much. As you might have noticed, I'm back at Lupin's place. We have a nice home for buckbeak. He seems to enjoy the old barn rather nicely. Hedwig came by, so I just thought you wan'ted some "fan" mail. Well, I hope to see you soon. Don't let the muggles put you down. -Sirius your BIGGEST fan.  
  
He wrote back to Sirius and put both replies on Hedwig's leg for her to give back to the senders. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Dudley's party was a confusing blur. It wasn't unusual for his thuggish cronies' to come over and bother Harry. But this year there were.girls! Who would ever imagine that Dudley would ever talk to a girl? This boy believed in cooties until the age of 13, and at this moment had about 10 young females in the house and they weren't his mother and her cabbage-smelling friends. Fine, girls were a small shock, but what came next was enough to make Harry burst out laughing. He would have if the girls weren't hanging around him. Each girl was actually noticing and being nice to Harry, and completely ignoring Dudley. Not that the guys paid any attention to the ladies. They sat watching TV turning their miniscule minds into lard while the girls chatted and gossiped in the corner. Aunt Petunia thought they were mingling and ordered Harry to serve punch and snacks. Trying to avoid the "men," as his aunt called them, he turned on his heel and walked slowly toward the girls. When he pushed through the swinging kitchen door the girls all seemed to stop talking all at once and glanced at Harry and started whispering in each other's ears and giggling. As Harry found out in his fourth year, girls giggled a lot when approached or acknowledged by a guy. He had had too much of this giggling when he separated Cho Chang, his crush, from her mob of friends to ask her to the Yule Ball in his fourth year. Sadly rejected he now found giggling girls as a very eerie noise. "Snacks, girls?" Harry asked cautiously. God, not more giggling. Some girls took some snacks reluctantly. Dudley obviously smelled the food with his snout and came thundering toward the tray Harry was carrying, knocking boys and small furniture out of the way as he cleared the field. He ate a piece of every one causing the girls to draw back several feet. Dudley snatched the tray of food out of Harry's hands and tipped the contents into his mouth. Having served his duty of feeding the "group" Harry walked back upstairs. The girls seemed mildly upset that the only decent guy in the whole party had left. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ On the day of the Weasley's arrival, Harry packed his things and returned Hedwig to her cage. "Come on Hedwig. We're finally leaving this prison." Hedwig hooted in delighted agreement to Harry's comment. "Yeah, I know, I hate it here, too," Harry sighed, "even more so probably. Remember you came only six years ago; I've been here for about fifteen." Hedwig's eyes seemed to widen in quiet surprise. Harry chuckled at her simplicity to show emotions. Harry heaved his trunk, with Hedwig's cage on top, down stairs and waited on the couch for the Weasley family to arrive. He had barely opened Flying With the Cannons when there came a vigorous knock on the front door. "No, it couldn't be them," but sure enough it was Ron Weasley Harry saw as he pulled the door wide. "Ron!" Harry gasped in surprise. "Hiya, Harry," Ron replied. Ron moved back a little to show all of the eight Weasley's with flaming ginger hair, with Hermione standing among them, positioned around two bright red car. They all waved eagerly to Harry, Ginny going exceptionally pink in the face.  
Ginny had always fancied Harry ever since her first year at Hogwarts. Now starting her 5th year, Harry realized how much she had grown since he saved her life in his 2nd year, which was just her first year. Even though Harry knew Ginny liked him to such extremes, he never saw her for more than his friend and his best friend's little sister. She used to give Harry cards, such as get-well cards and valentine cards sung to him by a dwarf with cupid wings on its back. "Ron! You're.you're," Harry stuttered, "You're early. What happened?" "Oh, yeah. Herm said we might be late so she made us leave early," he said.  
  
"Herm? Since when have you called-," but Harry was interrupted as Hermione came over. She placed her hand on Ron's shoulder, seeming to want to gently pull him away to talk to Harry, but instead she kept it there. Harry stared quizzically at her hand.  
  
Ron calling Hermione Herm; Hermione being so comfortable around Ron.what is happening?  
  
"Hello, Harry!" Hermione laughed. When Harry responded he guessed his tone showed question. "What's wrong?" she asked. 


	2. Back to the Burrow

Chapter 2: "Err.um, noth-nothing," he stammered. "Well, okay then, let's get in the car," Ron muttered. Harry sensed that Ron understood what he was wondering about because later he brushed Hermione's hand away gently as he turned around. "Come on! They're brand new Ministry cars! They bewitched it to fit more people than usual muggles can squeeze in," he said this last part in a whisper because neighbors seemed to be peering in wondering how 10 people and 2 drivers could fit into two small cars. The trip back to the Burrow in the car was strangely uneventful. In the last Weasley car, Harry was rescued from the Dursleys in the dead of night and flown back to the Weasley home. Later that year the barrier to Platform 9 ¾ wouldn't let Ron and Harry through causing them to fly that very same car, Mr. Weasley's Ford Anglia, to Hogwarts. They had envisioned a smooth landing on the sloping lawns of the magical school campus, but instead of their graceful descent they crash-landed head long into a tree. Ron had pointed out, "Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to get one that hits back." They had truly hit the only tree in the entire grounds of Hogwarts that hit back, rightfully named the Whomping Willow. It swiped at them breaking Ron's wand and smashing the car with the tremendous force. Mr. Weasley's car was never to be seen again, probably still roaming the Forbidden Forest that lay on the outskirts of the school grounds. Harry sat there trying to keep dry as the heat forced him to perspire. He frequently wiped his brow and pushed up his glasses, which were sliding down his sweaty nose as they sat in afternoon traffic. "Can't we just magic our way through this, Arthur," sighed Mrs. Weasley fanning herself with a brochure for magical car rental. "It's bloody hot, Dad!" moaned Percy. Percy, usually neat and pompous, now was slumped in the back seat with his sweat soaked hair plastered on his head. "I'm sorry, sir. We have to be as discreet as possible in the midst of all these muggles. They might expect something if we vanish and turn up in the front of this hold up," warned the ministry driver. Fred groaned at this and slid back in his seat and twiddled his wand in his fingers. Suddenly his wand burst into a rubber chicken with a huge squawk. Everyone began to laugh, even Mrs. Weasley who usually detested Fred and George's tricks. In their 3rd year Fred and George, the infamous Weasley twins, tricksters of Hogwarts, began to develop tricks, which they hoped to sell to students to help financial problems. Mrs. Weasley disposed of all she could find and warned them to never make a single gadget again. Yet anything on this scorching hot day seemed to ease the tension. When they finally arrived at their destination several hours later Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys thanked the drivers and trundled up to the Burrow. Once inside, Mr. Weasley made it wonderfully cool while Mrs. Weasley made a fresh pint of pumpkin juice for them to share in the living room. Once settled Ron showed Harry his room. Ron's bedroom was always a mess and covered from roof to floor in Chudley Cannons Quidditch team merchandise. Harry had imagined seeing all of this clutter when Ron opened the door but instead his eyes widened as he saw the whole of his mysteriously clean room. "Wha-what happened? Ron, your room is so-," Harry muttered. "I know," Ron interrupted. "Herm made me." "Herm? Since when have you called Hermione Herm?" Harry asked quizzically. "Oh, right; that. Well, err.Harry, you have to see, what it is--" "Hey! Dinner's almost ready. What's wrong?" Hermione had just entered before Ron could respond. "Harry, you're acting rather odd lately. Is something wrong? Maybe you should write to Sirius," Hermione said. "What's wrong with you two? You guys are really odd lately." "Oh, err.umm, Harry about that, it's really complicated," she stammered in the same nervous voice Ron had spoken in. "Harry, Hermione and I, err. we, umm, are sort of." Ron trailed off into something less than a whisper. "What?" Harry beckoned him to continue. "THEY FANCY EACH OTHER!!!!" screamed Fred and George together barging into the room.  
Harry, Fred and George suddenly burst into loud laughter. Harry leaned onto the wall for support, Fred doubled up hanging onto his knees, while George lay flat on his stomach kicking and banging the floor with his fists. Ron and Hermione blushed deep red and looked down at the floor embarrassed. "Are you serious?" gaped Harry still overcome with sniggers. "It's time for dinner.come on Ron," Hermione said and pulled Ron out off the room by his forearm. Harry and the twins followed slowly trying fiercely not to burst into a fit of hysterics. Harry had never thought about it much, but Ron and Hermione seemed perfect for each other. Well, sometimes they did. As long as Harry could remember they had been bickering and arguing but they truly seemed to care about each other. It was rather comical.  
As they walked down the stairs Mrs. Weasley told the three boys to help set the table. When they went outside Ron was holding a stack of plates as Hermione took them one by one and set them around the table. As they finished their round around the table they approached Harry who was finishing with the spoons. He tried to stop himself from bursting into laughter. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Is your trunk packed, Harry?" asked Ron as they climbed into bed. "Yeah, you?" Harry asked in return. "Yup. I can't believe your month here is already almost over," Ron yawned. "At least we're spending the last three days in the Leaky Cauldron." The Leaky Cauldron was a pub with an inn on the top of it in Diagon Alley. They were going to stay the last few days in the inn so they could buy their school supplies before boarding the Hogwarts Express, the steam engine that took the Hogwarts students to school. They next day they will be leaving for London where the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Ally lay in the middle of the Muggle world. A muggle, by wizard vocabulary was a non- magical person, having no magical ability. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Let's go to Flourish and Blotts!" Hermione shrieked with pure excitement. "They have the new Lockhart book, Who Am I? My Pursuit to Find My True Self," she said with pure relish. Ron heaved an enormous sigh. Ron had some how always disliked Gilderoy Lockhart, their former teacher at Hogwarts that lost his memory when his spell backfired and hit himself. Harry always thought that it was because of his cockiness, arrogance, his lies about all the great feats he claimed to have conquered, and sincere lack of magical talent, just the reason Harry despised him. But now that Ron and Hermione had openly expressed how they must have felt for each other, Harry now felt differently about Ron's reasons.  
After going to Flourish and Blotts Ron and Hermione had to go to the Magical Menagerie to get owl treats for Pig, Ron's owl, (Pigwidgeon as was supposed to be his proper name) and Crookshanks, Hermione's cat, needed to get a new wicker work basket as he had torn up his last one. Harry would rather not be cooped up in the animal reeking menagerie decided to not tag along. When he left Ron and Hermione at the front of the store he walked around thinking of where to go. Suddenly he spotted Quality Quidditch Supplies, a store that sold all kinds of things that involved the magical sport of Quidditch, a game played with four balls and fourteen players on flying broomsticks. He walked in remembering that he needed more broomstick polish. He was looking at a shelf facing the middle of the store when he spotted the very person he liked the most (apart from his friends) and the person he hated most of all. 


End file.
